Locking device for drawers.



Patented Oct. 28, I902.

W. D.- MEIGS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWEBS.

(Application filed July 5, 1902.

(No Model.)

ms nqnms PETERS 60., vuo'rou'ma, wnsnmumn, n. c.

UNITED, STATES PAT T OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. MEIGS, OF PITTSFI-ELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,994., dated October 28, 1902.

' Application filed July 5, 1902. Serial No. 114,442. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM D. MEIGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Drawers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a locking device adapted to be attached to a series of drawers and lock said drawers in position without the use of individual keys for each drawer. This I accomplish by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a front view, partly in section, of my invention applied to a series of drawers. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my locking device with the drawers and cross-rails shown in sectional view. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken on line 1 l of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is

a plan view of a locking-bolt applied toa:

cross-rail.

As illustrated in the drawings, the drawers A are arranged in aseries one above the other,

with' cross-rails B interposed between said drawers. The upper drawer of the series is provided with a lock 0 of ordinary construction operated by a key. Each of the crossrails B is provided with a bolt D, having a reduced shank arranged within a spiral spring E and a shoulder (1 supported upon the upper end of said spring. Each of the springs E is preferably supported within a shell or sleeve F, having an annular flange on its lower end adapted to support said spring. The front of each of the drawers below said rails B is provided on its upper edge with a recess,preferably having a shell or sleeve G adapted to engage the lower end of the bolt D, and the under portion of the forward end of the drawers above the cross-rails is provided with an inclined shoulder a. The bolts D are greater in length than the thickness of the cross-rails B, and when the drawers are closed the lower ends of the bolts are adapted to project below the lower edges of the crossrails and engage the recesses formed in the upper portion of the front of the drawers below. When the drawers are open, the heads of the bolts D are projected by thesprings E above the upper surface of the cross-rails B and the lower ends of said bolts are entirely within said cross-rails.

The drawers are locked in position by first closing the lowest drawer of the series while the other drawers are open. In closing the drawer next above the inclined shoulder a of said drawer bears against the head of the bolt D in the cross-rail below and presses said bolt downward against the resistance of the spring e until the lower end of said bolt ongages the'recess formed in the front of the drawer below, which looks said lower drawer securely in place. The next higher drawer is then closed in the same manner until all of the drawers are closed,when the upper drawer may be locked by means of a key,and thereby secure all of said drawers in place. When it is desired to open said drawers, the upper drawer is first drawn outward until the shoulder a of such drawer passes in front of the upper end of the bolt D below said shoulder, which is then'raised by means of the spring E until the lower end of said bolt is withdrawn from the recess in the front of the drawer below. The next lower drawer is then drawn forward in the same manner,and such operation is repeated until all of the bolts D are released from engagement with the drawers beneath. The upper portion of the heads of the bolts D are preferably made round or hemispherical, so as to constantly present a curved line'to the inclined shoulder (It of the drawer above. Such construction may be modified, however, without departing from my invention, as by the use of a bolt having a cylindrical head inclined or curved across the top.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a locking device for drawers, the combination with a cross-rail,ofa springsupported within said rail, a bolt of greater length than the thickness of said rail and mounted'upon said spring, an upper drawer provided with an inclined shoulder adapted to bear against the upper end of said bolt, and alower drawer provided with a recess adapted to engage the lower end of said bolt, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a locking device for drawers, the com provided with a recess adapted to engage the bination with a cross-rail provided with a lower end of said bolt, substantially as shown sleeve having an annular shoulder on its lower and described.

end, of a spiral spring supported on said In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 shoulder within said sleeve, a bolt greaterin in presence of two witnesses.

length than the thickness ofsaid cross-rail y I TILLIAM D. MEIGS and provided with a shoulder supported on said spring, an upper drawer'provided with Witnesses:

an inclined shoulder adapted to bear against WILLIAM J. OATMAN, 10 the upperend of said bolt, and a lower drawer JOHN H. SNELL. 

